Cauliflower "Bread"sticks

March 6, 2013

So, remember that tomato basil cheddar soup I posted? Remember how I said I’d shortly be sharing the cauliflower “bread”sticks that I served alongside said soup? Um.. yeah.. my birthday was a bit more exciting, so I had to post those goodies first. Now that I’m back in Buffalo (and buried beneath notes.. as usual), I can finally share these.

Firstly, if you go into this thinking they’ll taste like bread.. they won’t. The cheesy, herby flavors are there, as is the crispness of breadsticks, but they are by no means fluffy like bread. Honestly, I didn’t miss it a bit – these are good. Really good. And you don’t have to feel guilty about eating a good many of them. With that tomato soup, they were perfect for dunking. They’d be lovely with some marinara, too, if you’d rather have them as an appetizer on a pizza night.

I don’t have much else to say tonight, other than definitely go make these.. I’m in the midst of more exams (it never ends), and I’m allocating enough free time for about 1 episode of Doctor Who per night. It’s that time. I’m such a geek. Which reminds me..

Today, in my Pharmaceutical Care class (where we do mock clinical activities), the patients in the cases were all named after Harry Potter characters: Sturgis Podmore, Mary Riddle, Rolanda Hooch, and Silvanus Kettleburn. They all either had fungal infections or STDs. I was way, way amused that Sturgis Podmore had a crazy, drunken encounter with some nameless woman he couldn’t remember, resulting in a gonorrheal infection causing him to no longer be able to sit down (I’d like to think he got some of the prototype Fever Fudge from Fred and George Weasley, causing some pus-filled boils – but he couldn’t exactly say that to a muggle hospital, could he?). Rolanda Hooch had a fungal infection in her lungs, which was apparently caused by her lung cancer due to smoking, but I think we all know that it was probably from too much inhalation of freshly cut grass on the quidditch field. The most disappointing part of all this was that a majority of my class just thought the names were weird. And here I was, so excited that I had a professor awesome enough to know these minor characters..

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until al dente (it will fully cook when baking later), and then place in a food processor. Process until it has a rice-like consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients (except for the extra mozzarella for topping) to the food processor, and process until fully incorporated. Press the mixture into a parchment lined (or lightly greased) 9×13″ pan, making sure it is evenly spread.Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, until golden around the edges. Remove from the oven, and turn it out onto a lined baking sheet (this is why parchment is helpful – it allows for easy flipping).Cut into length-wise strips, and then cut those strips into 3-4 pieces (but do not separate yet). Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese, and then separate slightly so that they will crisp around the edges.Place them back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes, until crisp on the edges and browned on top. Serve with marinara sauce (or alongside tomato basil soup).Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Welcome to cooking ala mel!
I'm Melinda, a baking, fitness, and reading-obsessed pharmacy student, crazy cat lady, and geek. This is my little place on the internet to share mostly healthy recipes and the occasional geeky craft. I am all about moderation in every aspect of life, especially when it comes to food! More>>